IN BRIEF / SAN JOSE

9-Year-Old Girl Named in Drug Suit Dies

A 9-year-old girl whose parents sued the makers of Children's Motrin, claiming an adverse reaction to the medication 20 months ago left her unable to see, eat or speak without an electronic device, has died.

Kaitlyn Langstaff died at her Saratoga home on Wednesday. She suffered from toxic epidermal necrolysis, a severe form of Stevens Johnson Syndrome, which attacks the skin and mucous membranes and causes lesions that resemble second-degree burns.

Her parents, Kerry and Bradshaw Langstaff, sued the makers of the flu and pain medication, alleging it caused a severe allergic reaction. A trial is scheduled for October 2004.

Kaitlyn became ill while on a camping trip with her family in April 2002 and spent more than 110 days in four hospitals last year before going home. She used a ventilator to breathe and was fed through a tube.